Think I am about to give up BG testing for a few weeks...

My stress level just hit the roof…English is my favorite subject…I love it…I am currently taking British Lit 2…again I love it…But was just given my Mid term assignment…I have to pick apart Chaucer's Canterbury Tales ( we just finished reading it in MIDDLE ENGLISH!!!!!)…we went over it briefly in class as we read it …BUT my midterm is too analyze every major character and tell how each relates to facets of Chaucer's own life…Chaucer was an extremely complicated man with many many personality facets himself…the assignment should be fun…but I have never received a grade of less than A in English (or any other class grin)…and this is going to be a real brain workout…sigh…yeah I think that I need to let the testing go because an hour after I read the assignment in blackboard my BG was at 146..and all I had today was my morning breakfast shake…has anyone here read the Canterbury Tales?????…Please God say yes…

41 replies

So glad to see you didnt stop testing!!! Your health should always be number 1 and unless you and your doctor together decide testing is no longer needed you should never stop! I love english as well, sadly this is one book I havn't ventured thru yet, tho I am adding it to my soon to read list, its one I always ment to get to just always got distracted by something else lol LOVED seeing your grades staying A and above!!! Way to GO!!!! keep it up and you will achieve so much more than you ever thought!!! I myself and about to re start my schooling and hope that I can manage my grades as well as you <3 Thanks for posting about how stress from school can cause you to want to skip on your testing sometimes and showing that with just a little thought and a small breath you can remind yourself to stay healthy!!!! Glad to know I'm not the only one that can sometimes think rash thoughts and get ahold of myself shortly there after XD lol

Ooops…forgot the youtube link:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E3zUoNG_P_0If you check out the channels other uploads you can watch all the "episodes" of the claymation like version of Chaucer's The Canterbury Tales. Enjoy!;)

I totally feel for you Jibber Jabber! Even reading your assignment involving Chaucer's The Canterbury Tales — and in Middle English — is enough to send my levels through the roof in pure empathy! English/Literature & British literature are a few of my favorite subjects. I can get on board with just about anything involving reading, but The Canterbury Tales is one of the few things I've read that make me feel about as dumb as a rock. I would read it over & over — and still feel like I would need visual charts or someone beating me about the head for any of it to sink in. I always promised myself I would one day revisit The Canterbury Tales — hoping that maturity might help, but I keep moving it back further & further on my reading list. I did stumble across this a while back from a friend - it's youtube video's of almost a claymation version of Chaucer's Canterbury Tales. This is in no way a substitution for your assignment or for reading, but something I was just going to post in case anyone is curious. I had taken a few days away from the website but can't wait to catch up on all the great posts. I saw you had posted a few youtube videos & I look forward to watching them too. I love things like that - I'm a big documentary geek, NPR fan, & TED talks in the car ;)I hope you are hanging in there & am so glad you vented & are finding ways to make your way through what seems like a very trying assignment! I wish we could post pics…I would post a silly "You can do it" something — like I said — I usually make a fast grab for something humorous to try & make the journey a little less thorny. Hope all is going well!

Yes, I struggled with it many, many years ago and am sad to say I don't recall much about it, but the name. I should try again with a more mature mind and see if I can understand it like I grew to enjoy Shakespeare much later in life.

I am glad you didn't follow through with the no testing idea, as that just leaves you up to guessing and I am thinking that would make you even more stressed out.

Seems as though I was in over reaction panic mode yesterday when I posted this…I have since calmed down significantly…tested after breakfast and after lunch and haven't broken the 120 barrier…guess I have to learn to take a deep breath more often instead of letting my thoughts get the best of me…

it is not a problem…I did post a response in there somewhere..if you can find it…but yeah I still put up doubles and triples of my responses at times…I have learned for the most part to just hit the button once…even if it looks like it didn't take…99% of the time it does…

Hello Jibber. I don' t think giving up testing is the way to go as Valentine Lady said that like sticking your head in the sand. Keep testing bearing in mind that your elevated stress levels would impact on your readings. My b/g is well managed and the odd time i see a elevated post meal reading i get frantic so i do understand. Sorry i cant help you with Chaucer. If you are interested in the Hardware and Building materials business i am you guy. BTW i think you are gorgeous.

Lmoa you're funny,,,,,OMG I just realized you called me gorgeous…(blush)…thank you…every woman likes to hear that every once in a while…BUT the thing with the testing for me (although I have calmed down a lot about this assignment since I posted this yesterday)..is What can I do about it???…I keep my BG so low (my fasting was 92 this morning) that even if it shoots up into the 140's or 150's ..although NOT ideal…it isn't going to kill me…and because I alreadyknow I am doing everything I can do…I wouldn't be able to do anything about it anyway…but as I said..I have calmed down a lot about this assignment since yesterday…I found a flow…a method…and by midnight I had 8 well written paragraphs…happy dance..happy dance..

You are most welcome and you are GORGEOUS. We are alike in so far as b/g readings. I lost 29 lbs and i do manage very well. I stopped exercising and put on 3 lbs but i still find my b/g's good. My last a1c was 5 up from 4.8 three mts ago. My FBS was 91. My post meal sugars are around 100 to 106. To my amazement i had half of a "Roti" which is a flat bread made with white flour and my post meal was 144 i went berserk. Now i know to stay away from it. strangely i tolerate white bread which is a lot less dense. Point is we both are too rigid with numbers as my Doc would say. Glad to hear you have since calmed down, remember worry is like a rocking chair, it keeps you going but gets you nowhere ( and it raises blood glucose as well ). Yes you can do something about you readings. You can eliminate certain foods or reduce portion size based on your readings. It's an integral part of managing your condition, would you go driving across state without a functioning gas gauge? Hope you have a wonderful day.

You are most welcome and you are GORGEOUS. We are alike in so far as b/g readings. I lost 29 lbs and i do manage very well. I stopped exercising and put on 3 lbs but i still find my b/g's good. My last a1c was 5 up from 4.8 three mts ago. My FBS was 91. My post meal sugars are around 100 to 106. To my amazement i had half of a "Roti" which is a flat bread made with white flour and my post meal was 144 i went berserk. Now i know to stay away from it. strangely i tolerate white bread which is a lot less dense. Point is we both are too rigid with numbers as my Doc would say. Glad to hear you have since calmed down, remember worry is like a rocking chair, it keeps you going but gets you nowhere ( and it raises blood glucose as well ). Yes you can do something about you readings. You can eliminate certain foods or reduce portion size based on your readings. It's an integral part of managing your condition, would you go driving across state without a functioning gas gauge? Hope you have a wonderful day.

You are most welcome and you are GORGEOUS. We are alike in so far as b/g readings. I lost 29 lbs and i do manage very well. I stopped exercising and put on 3 lbs but i still find my b/g's good. My last a1c was 5 up from 4.8 three mts ago. My FBS was 91. My post meal sugars are around 100 to 106. To my amazement i had half of a "Roti" which is a flat bread made with white flour and my post meal was 144 i went berserk. Now i know to stay away from it. strangely i tolerate white bread which is a lot less dense. Point is we both are too rigid with numbers as my Doc would say. Glad to hear you have since calmed down, remember worry is like a rocking chair, it keeps you going but gets you nowhere ( and it raises blood glucose as well ). Yes you can do something about you readings. You can eliminate certain foods or reduce portion size based on your readings. It's an integral part of managing your condition, would you go driving across state without a functioning gas gauge? Hope you have a wonderful day.

I read the Canterbury Tales when I was in college—a looooooooooooooong time ago. Every major character? Wow—what an assignment. That should be at least a final, not a mid-term. You can do it. Do whatever you need to get through the stress. I think you will find once you get into the research you will find your rhythm and style and will relax and enjoy the challenge. Getting started and finding out just how you want to approach the subject is often the hardest part.

I have already rocked out 6…it goes without question that they were the 6 easiest…but 6 paragraphs…each 10-12 sentences long…he really doesn't want us to go over 12 sentences because , as he puts it.."I have to read all this stuff"…THAT is the hardest part..limiting myself to 12 sentences…I should be able to finish most of the first drafts in a couple weeks…even with my other paper that is due (different class)..because we are allowed to write in class…so that is 6 hours in class writing time…plus whatever writing I do at home…and I am funny with the writing at home…I will be doing something then just stop dead cold and run to the computer..because "it just clicked"…But yeah I need the last week to revise and polish…

Hi Jib Jab,Its wonderful everyone wrote you about your assignment. I have all my faith in you, you'll get another A. But I want to talk to you about not testing, you know your BG. You know you have to test Atleast twice a day. Morning and night before bed or rather 2 hours after you eat. I'm not preaching at you and I know you don't want to see large numbers. But in the same respect don't stick your head in the sand and pretend all is okay. Your a much smarter gal than than that. Hugs. VL

I am aware..but they're certain things I have no control over…and well school is one of them..I have to do what I have to do…I really cant do anymore than what I am already doing…I keep to my exercise routine…I am about as rigid as a steel rod when it comes to my diet…certainly cant cut the carbs..and I take my meds…there are just certain things that are out of my control..and if seeing the higher numbers hits me in the wrong place than I would rather not see them…its not like I can hide from them..they will still be there..and I am going next week for a A1C…soooo..it all comes out in the wash…but I learned rather quickly that I can only do what I can do…and I cant do know more than that…smile…

Jibber,Did you know that your brain uses most of the glucose in your blood? It is true, look it up. You are quite a thinker and if your diet is in tact, and you are exercising you don't need to worry about it. This is my diagnoses based on my experiments and experience. Science hasn't addressed the issue other than the brain uses the most glucose. If your blood sugar gets too low, what is affected first, your leg? No your brain. My blood sugar was 146 this morning. It should be about 75-85. My diet hasn't changed and neither has my exercise. My A1c is seven and my diet is right and I exercise. I refuse to attempt to lower my A1c lower than 7. it has been below 7 only once in 20 years. I have no diabetic complications. after all that time. If any one wants to experiment, become a thinker like Jibber and see what happens. :)

However Rosalie, one's brain operates well on ketones as well: "Surprisingly, D-beta-hydroxybutyrate (abbreviated "betaOHB") {ketones} may also provide a more efficient source of energy for brain per unit oxygen," ~ http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/11569918

There are folks on this site who claim that one NEEDS 120 mg/dl of BG tor proper brain functioning. I keep reminding that person that ketones are acceptable to keep one's brain functioning properly. It may not be "optimal" function, but it is accecptable function.

JayBee, I do agree with you. Do keytones turn into glucose for the brain? I am not sure about that.That would make sense for Jibber. I am on a very low carb diet, but perhaps not all Ketones. I don't need to lose any more weight.

Jayabee…I have never felt less productive or unable to concentrate when my BG was under 120…a matter of fact..although I have never really had a problem concentrating…I feel "sharper" than ever before since going keto and my BG rarely hits 120 anymore…at least not for the past few weeks…it is my understanding from my reading…and now from my personal experience that the brain functions much better on ketones…science has known this for quite a while as ketogenic diets are common place in the treatment of many neurological diseases, including Alzheimer's and epilepsy…

Way back in High school, more yrs ago than I want to think about, we briefly touched on it. Don't think I can help you much, but good luck. The next class I take will be something for the sheer fun of it. No midterms!

I only remember reading excerpts of the Canterbury Tales and that was years and years ago…I majored in French and remember having to get through Rabelais' "Gargantua et Pantagruel", but Rabelais lived in the 16th century as opposed to Chaucer, who wrote in the 14th century…both were pretty bawdy though as I recall. How much time do you have to complete this assignment ? (It does appear to be an assignment that's epic in scope .) Hopefully your report does not have to be written in middle English!…wonder how the prof would react to someone who did that?

NOOOOO it doesn't have to be written in Middle English…I would surely stroke out if it had to be…and I have three weeks…so I have plenty of time…And he is letting us write in class..so if we want our work critiqued he is there to do it..he is really a very nice man…He is NOT expecting an in depth analysis of every character..He does want a paragraph on each main character and how he or she relates to Chaucer's own life.. He acknowledged that it is a very thought provoking and tedious assignment…but he also reminded us that this is an upper level English class..Most of the students are English Majors and will go on after this semester to even more complicated work…He says his job is not just to instruct..but to get us to think…again a very nice man and an excellent Professor..

Although I majored in French, I minored in English and took a Modern European Drama (In translation) class from a Prof everyone called "D-minus Williams" because he was considered tough and wasn't tolerant of any BS. I remember one of our assignments was to write a paper and confine ourselves to no more than 180 words (sort of the converse of your assignment) but it forced us to distill our content to the essentials…not a bad assignment…I'd forgotten about Professor Williams and that episode…

I eat the same thing every morning…my shake consist of a vanilla atkins shake mixed with unsweetened vanilla almond milk..some cream and a handful of kale..I usually put chia in it but I am out…very nutritious..and I really cant do solid food in the morning ..makes me sick…and I have been able to maintain a 2 hour post meal GL of less than 122…my fasting numbers have come down to between 90 and 105…so you can imagine how I felt when I saw 146 on my meter..

It is okay…this post was put up in pure panic…I know I can do this…it is just the female characters ..like the Wife of Bath that are giving me trouble…my son, who is often times much wiser than I am, has advised me to stop thinking male or female when it comes to the characters…( hard for a somewhat old fashioned chick like myself to do)…and just think of them as sexless characters…I think he is on to something,,,,

oh I forgot to say I wish you luck!! I so loved working as an Admin. Asst. in the English department, for years. I wish I was still there. It was so very interesting to me. working the drama dept. would have been really good too. I love the Arts.

I am the opposite …I hate the "arts"…okay well hate is a strong word…let's just say I have never been drawn to them…I can read and analyze…but ask me to create something that isn't in word form…and I start drooling…I had to take a fine arts course in school and decided to take music appreciation…because I thought it would be the class that would ask the least of me artistically…I feel asleep during the vast majority of the classes and was grateful the majority of our grade came from two written papers…

I LOVE English too! it was always my best subject in school and I took some EH courses in college. Canterbury Tales is hard! at least when I worked at a University in the English dept. many of the students said it was and maybe it was that our professor was just hard. But I do think it is challenging.

It is an amazing collection of stories…and I enjoyed reading it very much..and as you read it you can see flickers of Chaucer in the Characters…but to articulate that in a clear way on paper..for every damned major character becomes a challenge…I am sure I will do fine…but unlike here and on FB, where I make many grammatical, spelling, punctuation errors..my papers are always perfect..I will go insane for a week over a "questionable comma" …so I know I will be stressed out for the next three weeks..